Operations Lead

Peraton; Fort Belvoir (VA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 216,000; Full time

Job summary

Peraton is seeking an Operations Lead at their Fort Belvoir location to support critical national security operations. This role involves enhancing mission protection capabilities and developing advanced operational concepts while working on mission systems and tools.

Ideal candidates should have extensive experience in space defense operations and a strong understanding of adversary patterns. The offered salary ranges from $135,000 to $216,000, depending on various factors including experience and education.

Qualifications

• 10 years of experience in space defense operations or I&W systems.
• Active TS/SCI clearance with adjudicated Polygraph.
• US Citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Support mission integration and operational readiness efforts.
• Analyze threats and assess vulnerabilities.
• Produce operational reports and intelligence products.

Skills

Experience in space defense operations

Mission Ground Stations expertise

Hands-on with mission systems and tools

Leadership experience

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering

Tools

Systems Tool Kit (STK)

DPS

DSS

Job description

Operations Lead

Job Locations: US-VA-Fort Belvoir

Requisition ID: 2026-167338 | Position Category: Aviation Systems | Clearance: Top Secret/SCI w/Poly

Responsibilities

Join a high-performing Weapon & Tactics (W&T) team supporting critical national security space operations. As an Operations Lead, you will apply broad operational expertise to enhance mission protection capabilities across operations, battlespace awareness, collection management, system integration, planning, training, and exercises. In this role, you'll directly contribute to safeguarding space assets, developing advanced operational concepts, and enabling informed decision‑making in a rapidly evolving threat environment.

Leveraging deep knowledge of mission systems and Indications & Warning (I&W) tools, you will help develop and refine Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs), support executable Courses of Action (COAs), and drive continuous improvements in operational effectiveness. You will maintain certification and proficiency in a Battlespace Awareness (BSA) crew position while supporting mission integration, training initiatives, and operational readiness efforts.

Successful candidates will play a key role in identifying emerging threats, analyzing adversary patterns and behaviors, mitigating intelligence gaps, and ensuring mission assurance through real‑time monitoring and assessment of space and terrestrial activities.

• Maintain certification and operational proficiency in a 24/7 BSA crew position, utilizing mission‑critical tools such as Systems Tool Kit (STK) and other I&W systems.
• Develop and refine TTPs, COAs, and operational processes, including enhancements to checklist and alert‑entry criteria.
• Support integration of next‑generation I&W capabilities and software tools while serving as a mission subject‑matter expert for operational thresholds and alerting requirements.
• Monitor and report on mission capabilities, system performance, degradations, latencies, and operational impacts.
• Detect, assess, and report potential threat activity while maintaining accurate terrestrial and space catalog databases.
• Produce operational reports, intelligence products, and leadership briefings for ongoing and emerging space events.
• Analyze satellite positional and state‑vector data to identify patterns of life, assess vulnerabilities, and support mission protection efforts.
• Prioritize and execute collection tasking across available mission assets to maximize operational effectiveness.
• Support the planning and execution of real‑world operations, exercises, and contingency response activities.
• Identify operational, technical, and intelligence gaps that could affect mission success and develop mitigation strategies.
• Support 24/7 operations during mission events and periods of elevated operational tempo.
• Work full‑time on‑site at a government facility in Springfield, Virginia.

This position is contingent upon contract award.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• 10 years of experience in space defense operations, Mission Ground Stations (MGS), the Intelligence Community (IC), or space operations involving flight safety and/or I&W systems.
• Experience in Leading a team of several teammembers.
• Hands‑on experience with mission systems and tools such as STK, ASW, DPS, DSS, MPS, or comparable operational platforms.
• Active TS/SCI clearance with adjudicated Polygraph.
• US Citizenship.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience applying orbital mechanics, conjunction assessment, or satellite operations expertise.
• 2+ years supporting the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) or partner Intelligence Community organizations.
• 2+ years of experience with STK, DSS, SPADOC, ATLAS, ASW, or similar space operations systems.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering or a related technical field with 5+ years of relevant experience.
• Working knowledge of orbital mechanics, flight safety tools, and mission applications.
• Understanding of foreign and domestic space and ground‑based threat capabilities.
• Experience tasking space surveillance assets and managing collection operations.
• Experience supporting exercises, operational planning, and system integration initiatives.
• Proven ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary teams and brief senior military and civilian leadership.

Work location

• Fort Belvoir

Target Salary Range

$135,000 - $216,000. This represents the typical salary range for this position. Salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the individual's experience, education, knowledge, skills, and competencies, as well as geographic location and business and contract considerations. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay.

EEO

EEO: Equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veterans, or other characteristics protected by law.